Activist leads petition opposing non-Thai student admissions policy
A group led by activist Tae Achiwa gathered outside Thailand’s Ministry of Education in Bangkok yesterday, March 17, to submit a letter objecting to the government’s non-Thai student admissions policy.
Tae arrived at around 11am with supporters from the Thai Mai Thon group and handed officials a petition opposing the Ministry of Education announcement on accepting students who do not hold Thai nationality.
The group also submitted a list of public signatories, which Tae claimed totalled close to 100,000 names.
Speaking at the protest, Tae said he understood the principle of human rights but disagreed with what he described as more than 800 million baht in budget spending to support foreign children.
He argued the funds should instead be directed towards Thai children first and raised concerns about national security and the possibility of people falsely claiming entitlements under the policy.
A representative from the Ministry of Education received the objection letter and said the matter would be taken into the formal consideration process.
However, Tae said the group would continue pressing the issue if there was no progress or if the policy was not suspended quickly. He said the group would move its supporters to the Prime Minister’s Office to increase pressure.
Amarin TV reported that as the event neared its end, Tae thanked those who had joined the gathering and announced the group would remain at the site until 1pm to watch for a response from relevant agencies.
He also invited those who disagreed with the protest to meet him in person, and insisted his actions were aimed at protecting the interests of Thai people nationwide.
In a similar development, a proposal by a Senate education committee to reduce funding for undocumented Cambodian students in Thailand has faced criticism from a fellow senator and human rights advocate, who claims it could breach international humanitarian laws and children’s rights.
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